Roads Service depot to shut in autumn

The move is expected to take place in September or October and the DRD said there will be no redundancies with workers moving to Ballymoney.

A spokesperson confirmed that the land at Station Road is leased by the DRD and they said what will now happen to the site is up to the land owner.

Speculation about the move has been rife and Sinn Fein councillor Oliver McMullan had been saying months ago the change to Ballymoney was in the pipeline.

Roads Service already has a joint arrangement for their Ballymoney and Moyle section offices.

A spokesperson was commenting in the light of media coverage about changes across Northern Ireland.

A DRD Roads Service said: "In order to achieve targets within its Budget allocations for the three years to 2010/11, in April Roads Service further reviewed its structure and took the decision to remove posts that were unfunded and vacant.

"The 110 posts were vacant and therefore no staff, either temporary or permanent, have lost their jobs or been affected by this decision. Trade Unions including UNITE were kept informed of these decisions at regular Whitley meetings.

"Roads Service, like all government agencies, must manage the financial pressures on its budget and in managing our pressures in 2010/11, it has taken the decision to release approximately 50 temporary staff across the Agency. Roads Service has re-directed resources to ensure delivery of our key high priority frontline services is unaffected.

"In relation to section offices, a written Ministerial statement to the Assembly was made on 7 July stating that eight of Roads Service’s smaller Section Offices would be combined into four new combined Section Offices, each covering two adjacent Council areas to manage budget pressures.

“Such an arrangement already exists and works well in Roads Service’s Ballymena and Larne Section Office and at its Ballymoney and Moyle Section Office and this will not result in any job losses or impact on the front line services provided."